Proliferating principles, or how to sup with the devil without getting eaten

This article makes a distinction between humanitarian principles (for example the distinction between combatant and non-combatant as expressed in the Geneva Conventions) and the principles of humanitarian action (such notions as neutrality and impartiality). It then reviews the origins and development of the principles of humanitarian action and examines ways in which recent thinking is expanding and developing the principles as one way of meeting the challenges outlined above. It concludes by looking at the relationship between the principles of humanitarian action and the promotion of respect for broader humanitarian principles.